• Ghana goalkeeper Benjamin Asare missed out on a place in the 2026 CAF Goalkeeper of the Year shortlist despite a historic World Cup campaign
• Asare kept 14 clean sheets in 19 league appearances and recorded five clean sheets during Ghana's World Cup qualifying campaign
• CAF's 10-man shortlist instead includes South Africa's Ronwen Williams, Morocco's Yassine Bonou and Senegal's Edouard Mendy

Benjamin Asare has been left off the 2026 CAF Goalkeeper of the Year shortlist, despite a season that saw him make history at the FIFA World Cup in North America and produce arguably his finest performances in a Ghana shirt.

Asare snubbed for the 2026 CAF Awards

The 34-year-old Hearts of Oak goalkeeper was not among the ten nominees named by the Confederation of African Football, a decision that is set to spark debate given the scale of his achievements over the past year.

Asare was central to Ghana's qualification campaign, keeping five clean sheets while conceding only one goal across the entire qualifying process.

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At the World Cup itself, he etched his name into the country's football history books by becoming the first locally based goalkeeper to represent the Black Stars at the tournament, coming on against Panama before starting a subsequent fixture — another first for a player from the Ghanaian domestic top flight.

His most celebrated outing came in the match against England, where he was named man of the match after frustrating an attack that included Ballon d'Or winner Harry Kane.

Watch a compilation of Asare's performance against England, as shared on X:

His league form was equally impressive, as he registered 14 clean sheets in just 19 Ghana Premier League appearances for Accra Hearts of Oak, according to Transfermarkt.

Who made the CAF shortlist?

CAF's 10 nominees are led by Mamelodi Sundowns and South African shot-stopper Ronwen Williams, who stands as a frontrunner after playing a key role in Sundowns' CAF Champions League triumph.

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Morocco's Yassine Bonou bolstered his credentials with two penalty saves against Nigeria in the AFCON 2025 semi-final, while former Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy of Senegal also features on the list.

The remaining spots went to Algeria's Oussama Benbot, Côte d'Ivoire's Yahia Fofana, DR Congo's Lionel Mpasi, Cabo Verde's Vozinha, and Egyptian pair El-Mahdi Soliman and Mostafa Shobeir, with Morocco's Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti rounding out the shortlist.

Asare's omission will sting, particularly given that his achievements this year helped raise the profile of Ghana's domestic league on an international stage for the first time at a World Cup.

Asare misses out on Ballon d'Or GOTY

YEN.com.gh earlier reported that the 2026 Ballon d’Or Goalkeeper of the Year nominees were announced on September 8, with Benjamin Asare notably absent from the 10-man shortlist.

Three other African shot-stoppers made the cut, but Spain’s Unai Simón eventually claimed the award at the London Theatre Palladium on October 26.